Nationals will deliver best for regions, says Anne Webster

MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster insists the National Party is “absolutely still relevant” despite turning back the clock and reinstalling Barnaby Joyce as leader.

Dr Webster said she voted for Michael McCormack to remain as leader in a late-morning party room ballot on Monday.

It came after one of Mr Joyce’s allies, former resources minister Matt Canavan, moved a spill motion against Mr McCormack.

In an interview with Sunraysia Daily following the vote, Dr Webster was lukewarm about whether Mr Joyce was the best person to lead The Nationals into the next election, particularly when it comes to women’s issues, but backed her party’s record on delivering for the regions.

However, she steered clear of throwing her support behind a net zero emissions target for Australia by 2050 despite acknowledging the Mallee was an emerging renewables powerhouse.

“Look, I think it is more important that we are putting in place the objective – but we are not going to put a signature on a piece of paper and then not achieve it,” Dr Webster said.

“What I prefer is that we’re not effectively virtue-signalling, we’re actually doing something about it.

“As you know, I’ve been working on that in the Mallee and the ongoing uptake of renewables.

“My focus is on how we maximise affordable, renewable energy with the technological developments that are occurring.”

In relation to the upending of Mr McCormack this week, Dr Webster said these “these glitches occur” but maintained her party’s relevance.

“Together with the Liberal Party, The Nationals have brought in significant benefits to the regions,” she said.

“I think we are absolutely still relevant to what is going on. I don’t believe there is a better party to represent the regions than The Nationals.

“Ultimately, we are a pretty pragmatic party. Yes, we have differences of opinion … but we don’t have factions.”

Dr Webster did concede the party needs to be “doing better”.

Asked if she thought Mr Joyce was the best person to lead the Nats into the next election, Dr Webster said: “(My) confidence is that democratic processes are the best form of processes in terms of determining leaders.

“Clearly, I personally felt it would have been better to wait until after the election. However, that wasn’t my call.”

She hopes Mr Joyce will be true to his word of “coming back a better person” after he quit as leader three years ago following revelations of an affair with a staffer and being accused of sexual harassment — an allegation he strongly denies.

“History is what it is. As Mr Joyce said today, he has learnt from his past and all mature adults learn from their past, hopefully, and look forward to a new day,” Dr Webster told the ABC late on Monday.

She called on Mr Joyce to listen and respond to women’s issues.

“First and foremost, women need to feel like they’ve been heard and the issues they raise are taken seriously,” Dr Webster said.

As for how she thought the party’s upheaval went down with voters, she said: “I think people probably scratch their head and think, ‘How and why has this even happened?’

“Fundamentally, we just have to pull together now and get our bearings again.

“I’m also personally adjusting to our new world order.”